John

Tiedemann
T 4:005:50
410 Sturm
John.Tiedemann@du.edu

Office hours: Tuesday, 2:004:00, in

Anderson Academic Commons. Email
me to make an appointment.
Office: Academic Commons 380U
Course blog: sjus.blogspot.com

social justice 2010: selma: its histories and legacies...

THE CLASS
2015 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches, the high-water mark of
the mid-century Civil Rights Movement and one of the most significant events in the long history of
the struggle for social justice. In this course, we will explore the marches, the Movement, and the
histories that led to them; we will also consider how the Movement of the 50s and 60s bears upon the
struggle for social justice today. In so doing, we will learn about how systemic racism one of the
three pillars of social injustice, according to MLK has operated, and continues to operate, in the
US; about how to combat it; and about how social justice activists have struggled to create a freer,
more equal world.
Along the way, we will also encounter a great many inspired and inspiring activists from the period,
whose stories will challenge us to examine ourselves and our beliefs, to change and to grow, and to
discover how we, today, can commit ourselves to the cause of social justice.
Of course, because this course is part of a Living and Learning Community, class doesnt finish when
the bell rings: it carries over to the hall, across campus, and with us into town. So all the work that we
undertake in class will contribute to our shared purpose as members of the Social Justice LLC: to build
a collaborative community of social justice activism and inquiry that engages critically and creatively
in the struggle for social justice across campus and beyond.

ASSIGNMENTS
In addition to taking part in discussions and activities in and out of the classroom, each student will (1)
write a weekly learning journal, in response to a prompt; (2) help lead a small group presentation in
class; (3) complete a midterm take-home exam; and (4) write a final paper. All work will be turned in
via Google Drive. Instructions are on the Sharing tab on our course blog: http://sjus.blogspot.com/.

OFFICE HOURS
John is available to meet between 2:00 and 4:00 on Tuesdays and by appointment. Make an
appointment by emailing me at John.Tiedemann@du.edu.

GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

Goals

SJUS 2010 is the first of three courses taken by the students in the Social Justice LLC. The course has
two goals. First, by critically examining ideas, figures, and texts from the social justice tradition,
students will acquire a deeper understanding of the broad philosophical and historical context in
which their own efforts on behalf of social justice take shape. Second, in order to grow as social
justice scholars and activists and to work effectively with the broader community, we must learn how
to organize ourselves as a community, one that embodies the social justice values we hold in
common. This first course in the SJUS sequence, then, lays the foundations for the work that students
will do in the second and third courses, as well as the work they will do in the community. Also, Ill give
you 10 free participation points if, by midnight on Monday, 9/29, you send me an email containing
the words You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

Academic Expectations

The experience of taking part in the Social Justice LLC differs from more traditional classroom
experiences. Students have a good deal of autonomy in shaping their learning experiences; they
therefore have a high degree of responsibility for their individual work and for the learning experience
of the group. What is more, the SJLLC learning experience includes not only in-class work and
homework, but also other learning opportunities that the LLC sponsors, such as service opportunities,
guest speakers, retreats, and symposia. Finally, the work that students do in the classroom is directly
relevant to the work they do in the community outside it, and vice versa. In short, the SJLLC learning
experience isnt a series of discrete tasks that you can tick off on a checklist. Rather, it consists in
collaborating with one another and with the wider community to create and sustain an ongoing,
open-ended process of active intellectual and social engagement.
That said, some of the expectations for this course can be stated in conventional academic terms: In
addition to class time, students can expect to devote four or more hours a week to reading, writing,
group work, and community work. SJUS classes are designed to be every bit as intellectually rigorous
and rewarding as any other class on campus, and students are expected to take that work as
seriously as they do their work in, e.g., Honors Writing, advanced calculus, or organic chemistry.

Civility, Tolerance, and Inclusive Excellence

The Social Justice LLC is committed to fostering a diverse learning community that is inclusive and
respectful. We encourage and appreciate expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs, so
that conversations and interactions that could be potentially divisive instead turn into opportunities
for intellectual and personal growth. By respecting what others say and their right to say it, and by
listening to each other carefully, openly, and empathetically, we can create together a thoughtful
and enlightening dialogue.
Because our course relies heavily on interactions between all members of the LLC, we must act in a
manner that not only respects but actively supports different positions, perspectives, experiences,
heritages, and gender, racial, ethnic, class, sexual, and other identities. And because our LLC is
committed to social justice, we are particularly interested in hearing voices and learning about ideas
that emerge from marginalized groups.
The ideas well discuss are often controversial, and some of the historical events and experiences
well discuss will be disturbing, even painful especially for classmates who have experienced similar
kinds of injustice themselves. As members of a Living and Learning Community, we must never
trivialize or dismiss those experiences; we must remain thoughtful, supportive, and caring.
All of this means that we strive to include one another fully in all of our interactions. We aim to use
inclusive language that allows everyone to participate. We listen carefully to one another, never
interrupt, and always to respond thoughtfully and respectfully. In sum, we are not here to prove
ourselves right and other classmates wrong; We are all here to help all of us to learn and to grow.

Computers, etc.

To insure that were all fully present to the conversation and to one another, students will disconnect
from the internet, unless otherwise instructed. So put away your laptop, phone, tablet, etc., in your
bag during class, and come ready with a good old-fashioned notebook and pen.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students who have disabilities (i.e., physical, medical, mental, emotional and learning) and who
want to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Program (DSP); 303.871.2372;
1999 E. Evans Ave.; 4th floor of Ruffatto Hall. Information is also available online at www.du.edu/dsp;
See Handbook for Students with Disabilities.

GRADES

Learning journal

Each week, youll post an entry in a learning journal. Journal entries are to be shared by the start of
class on the day they are due. Youll receive 20 points for posting a complete and manifestly
thoughtful response to the prompt. (By manifestly thoughtful I mean clear, coherent, and on topic.)
You will receive 10 or fewer points if the entry is incomplete, superficial, and/or appears to be hastily
composed. You will receive no points should you fail to share the entry when it is due. (You can
submit up to two extra journal entries for additional credit, upon request. Ask John for an a prompt.)

Midterm Exam

During week 5, youll receive a take-home midterm exam, a draft of which will be due by the start of
class the following week. The exam will ask you to demonstrate your understanding of key concepts
from the course.

Connections

Small groups of students will make 10-minute presentations connecting what were learning about in
class to other social justice events, people, and ideas.

Final Essay

At the end of the course, you will compose an essay of roughly 1,000 words about the off-campus
group with whom you have chosen to work in the winter and spring. The essay will ask you to use the
concepts that you have learned in class to justify your choice, explaining how the community work
you propose to do furthers the cause of social justice.

Class Participation (inside the classroom)

Youll receive up to 20 points for the day when you make meaningful contributions to the days
discussion. (By a meaningful contribution I mean a contribution thats thoughtful and fully
elaborated, thus moving the conversation forward and contributing to our collective understanding
of the topic under discussion.) You will receive no more than 10 points if you attend class without
contributing. Students will receive no points when they do not attend class, distract classmates by
conducting side conversations, etc., fail to observe the no internet policy, or otherwise disengage
or disrupt class. Students will have 5 points deducted from the days participation if they are late.

GRADES (contd.)

Class Participation (outside class)

Much of the work that we do takes place outside of class, e.g., during our retreat, on service days, in
one-on-one conferences, at family dinners, etc. Your full participation in these events is worth 33
points per event.

Attendance Policy

As the participation policy indicates, there are no excused absences from class. If, for whatever
reason, you miss class, you will not receive credit for that days class discussion. Likewise, there are no
make-ups for events that take place outside of class.

Grade Calculation
Learning Journal:
Take-home midterm:
Final essay:
Participation in class:
Participation outside of class
Connections presentation
TOTAL

200 points
200 points
200 points
200 points
200 points
100 points
1100 points

Ill assign your grade for the quarter based on a 1,000-point scale (see below). However, as you can
see above, you can earn up to 1100 points toward your final grade. This means that there are no
extra-credit assignments as such. Rather, you can compensate for less strong work in one area by
doing exceptionally well in others. Heres the scale Ill use to calculate your final grade for the course:
A
A-

930-1000+
900-929

B+
B
B-

870-899
830-869
800-829

C+
C
C-

770-799
730-769
700-729

D+
D
D-

670-699
630-669
600-629

0599

CALENDAR OF READINGS AND VIEWINGS

All readings and viewings will be made available on our blog.
T Sept. 13
T Sept. 20
T Sept. 27
T Oct. 4

T Oct. 11

T Oct. 18
T Oct. 25

T Nov. 1

T Nov. 8

T Nov. 15

Introduction: Charleston
Emmett Till & Rosa Parks
For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, Awakenings (19541956).
Little Rock
For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, Fighting back (19571962).
Sit-ins and Freedom Rides
For class, please watch Stanley Nelson, Jr. Freedom Riders.
Connections: Group 1 and 2
Freedom and formal democracy
For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, Mississippi: Is This America?
(19631964).
Connections: Groups 3 and 4
Midterm Workshop
Selma
For class, please watch Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb, Selma.
Connections: Groups 5 and 6
The critique of nonviolence
For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, The Time Has Come.
Connections: Groups 7 and 8
The Poor Peoples Campaign
For class, please watch Moyers & Company, James Cone and Taylor
Branch on MLKs Fight against Economic Inequality.
Reports on community partnerships.
Final essay workshop
Reports on community partnerships.